Local jobless rate shows slight decline

Wednesday

Sep 23, 2009 at 5:01 AM

By GINGER CHRIST

T-G Staff Writer

A drop in Ashland County's unemployment rate does not necessarily mean recovery is imminent, officials say.

The county August unemployment rate fell to 12.2 percent from 13 percent in July, yet still remains about double the 6.7 percent unemployment rate of a year ago, according to data released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The county unemployment rate has not fallen below 12 percent since it was at 10.4 percent in December 2008.

The decrease in the local unemployment rate was echoed across the state. Rates decreased in 44 of the state's 88 counties and the state unemployment rate dropped from 11.1 percent in July to 10.5 percent in August.

"A decrease in Ohio's labor force was a primary factor in drop of the August unemployment rate," ODJFS Director Douglas Lumpkin said. "The unemployment rate declined as the number of service-providing and goods-producing jobs decreased and fewer Ohioans were actively seeking work."

Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services director Gary Hannan said he agrees with the state Job and Family Services staff's explanation of the declining jobless rate.

"We're certainly not aware of any large hiring going on," Hannan said. "August is still historically a fairly high employment month. Construction and summer employment and agricultural employment is still very active in August."

Traffic at the Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services One Stop decreased in August. There were 954 people who visited One Stop in August, down from 1,156 in July. In August 2008, 556 people visited One Stop.

"To have a good solid economic turnaround, we need to have a good plan in this country," Latta said.

Latta said such a plan does not exist and expressed disapproval of what he called "cap and tax" and the lack of attention paid to the country's high corporate tax rate. He said ideas proposed by the Democratic Party are "job killers."

"We're not really seeing a good turnaround right now. A lot of companies are hanging on by their fingernails," Latta said.

Sixteenth District Congressman John Boccieri, D-Alliance, said there is a "lot of work to do" to bring down Ohio's unemployment rate.

"We are starting to see signs of economic recovery but unemployment is still too high in Ohio," Boccieri said. "We have got to do all that we can to make sure that the last remaining jobs that folks are holding onto are protected. My theory and my belief that the unemployment numbers are high is because of the lack of credit flowing to small businesses."

Boccieri said that while Ashland has had some good stories, such as the Barbasol groundbreaking and the acquisition of the Archway brand by Lance Inc., "there's still too many people out there without jobs."

Locally, 3,300 people were jobless in August.

Unemployment rates in Ohio reached a high of 16.6 percent in Meigs County. At 7 percent, Geauga County's rate was the lowest.